Richard Ritenbaugh reminds us that some prophecy buffs have concluded that the end of the world is on the horizon, citing the media's sniping at President Trump, North Korea's hydrogen bomb threats, and the succession of three destructive hurricanes. When analyzing the overblown coverage of the hurricanes, for example, one must factor in the motives of the Weather Channel , including the insidious political motive of fostering a belief in climate change, and the materialistic motive of boosting ratings by playing on people's fears. God's called-out ones should not look to the media when seeking truthful information. What God reveals in His Word is more reliable than the evening news. God's people do a disservice to the cause of truth when they allow the media-hype to trigger a false hope about Christ's imminent return. We have no absolute guarantee that Christ will come in our lifetime; studying numerology or secret biblical codes will not speed up the event. No one, not even Jesus Christ Himself, knows when He will return; the Father alone has this knowledge. Many of the signs of Jesus coming are perennial, such as deception, wars and rumors of wars, famines and natural disasters. To be sure, Christ averred that the both the density and the intensity of world events would increase before the end, but one cannot build a prophetic marker on a series of natural events, many of which have been over-hyped by irresponsible media outlets. When we are commanded to watch and pray, Christ expects the faithful servant to be watching the progress of his spiritual growth, regardless of whether His return is imminent or far off. The recent disasters should be a wake-up call not as a pin on a chart measuring prophetic fulfillment.

Every Christian longs for the return of Jesus Christ, and we search for fulfillments of the signs signaling that wonderful prophetic event. The seemingly rapid increase in natural disasters and heavenly spectacles can excite us to a fever pitch. Richard Ritenbaugh cautions that we need make sure that our understanding and interpretation of such signs align with what the Bible says about them.

Mike Ford, exposing one of the most colossal frauds that ever existed, the global warming hoax perpetrated by pseudo-science, warns us that it has morphed into the fastest growing religion in the world. Proponents of this bogus religion claim that, if we can control our output of carbon dioxide, regulate bovine flatulence, and drive electric cars, we can prevent the oceans from rising, the polar ice-caps from melting, hurricanes from forming, and drought from spreading. President Obama, the Alarmer-in-chief, has proclaimed climate change the biggest danger on the earth, far greater than ISIS and the threat of nuclear war. Michael Bloomberg blamed climate change for Hurricane Sandy while Hillary Clinton attributes Hurricane Matthew to climate change. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and failed Presidential candidate Al Gore have called for stiff fines and imprisonments for climate change deniers, using techniques of harassment and intimidation not unlike the Spanish Inquisition. None of the dire warnings made by Al Gore have ever materialized; as a matter of fact, a large segment of the scientific community fear Global cooling and a new ice age. Climate always changes over time, but human contribution to this change is negligible. Being good stewards of the earth should not lead to the imbalanced practice of making mother-earth our goddess. God, the inventor of climate and weather patterns, is sovereign over the climate and weather; He knows a few more things about it than Al Gore, Barack Obama, or Michael Bloomberg. The nation that obeys God will have favorable weather and climate; the nations that disobeys God will not. Worshiping the earth and rejecting its Creator will bring about disappointing results.

Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the fallout from the devastating Hurricane Matthew, a category 4 storm, has observed that some have attempted shamelessly to politicize this disaster, foolishly proclaiming that this disaster was caused by climate change, global warming, or 'environmental racism.' Regardless of the subject being discussed today, mass media and internet social media have been deliberately poking political hot buttons, purposely dividing the people of this nation to take adversary positions. Politicizing issues serves those who seek to expand the legitimate role of government and to institutionalize current power structures. Politicizing is a grave evil because it (1) creates an "us versus them" adversarial approach to issue reslotuon, leading to internecine conflicts, feuds, or civil wars, (2) creates false dichotomies , such as migration or no immigration, disregarding the fact that every issue is far too complex to be oversimplified into terms of black or white and (3) trivializes moral or ethical issues, as exampled in the subtle intimations that one party promotes racism and the other does not, or that lawbreaking will stop simply by passing legislation. God's system does not(and should not) make use of politics, which is motivated by pure prideful ego and a grasping for power. When politics enters the church, disaster and division inevitably follows. The Church is commissioned to do God's will, not its own. Politicians work to get their own will advanced, but our job, as God's called-out ones, is to do God's will.

The fact of a Second Exodus that will far eclipse the Exodus from Egypt is generally understood by Bible students. The timing of this great migration, however, is more elusive. David Grabbe points out the Scriptural markers that narrow the time frame to a specific, significant prophetic event.

John Ritenbaugh, while concurring that New Orleans is unquestionably one of the most dysfunctional venues in North America, with the murder rate 10% above the national average, the home of numerous perverted sex, immorality and perverted lifestyles, we must exercise caution at jumping to conclusions, making the inference that the suffering of people involved in the wake of the storm was a judgment from God. For one thing, the French Quarter (and Bourbon Street) was relatively unscathed. Even though generally speaking, disobedience automatically brings punishment while obedience brings blessing, the entirety of physical Israel has enough guilt from sin to pass around. We need to be sobered by these disasters, realizing our culpability for this wrath of God (Dies Ire). The devastations (Katrina and Rita) are displays of His wrath. If God really wanted to get rid of New Orleans, it would have looked like Sodom and Gomorrah. God actually exercised incredible restraint and mercy considering the magnitude of our national sins. These natural disasters should lead us all to reflect and repent.

The concept of power brings many different ideas to mind, any and all of which may certainly be valid. David Grabbe, however, concentrates on the 'little strength' of the church of the Philadelphians, suggesting that Christ commends them for being 'faithful in little' and will reward them with much.

A vital understanding we can reach from the many articles that appeared in the media following the recent devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia is the appalling ignorance of God's involvement in the minds of the inhabitants of Western-world cultures. ...

Richard T. Ritenbaugh: Secular Americans snicker at insurance policies that refer to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters as "acts of God," when they, in their scientific arrogance, prefer to call them "acts of nature" or "weather events." ...

What does God see in Israel that so affronts Him that He has to swear "by His holiness"? Israel had every opportunity that the Gentiles did not have: His calling, His promises, His Word, His laws. He gave the Israelites these gifts to help them develop into His sons and daughters, but God sees them as diametrically opposite of Himself. Should not God expect to see some of His characteristics in His sons?

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The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. See what over 145,000 subscribers are already receiving each day.

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